Month: January 2017

Player you’ll be buzzing about: RB Jay Ajayi — this is the easy choice, but Ajayi could wind up being the best Day 3 pick in this year’s rookie class, if his knee is healthy.

What to watch: The obvious name here is Ndamukong Suh. The man has the richest contract for any defensive player in the league and he’ll need to have an immediate impact. Of course, that’s virtually guaranteed, so watching as the Dolphins run competitions at running back, linebacker and defensive tackle should be more interesting in the end.

Most important position battle: Cornerback — Many will tell you cornerback is the most important defensive position, and the Dolphins need to determine a starter outside and inside. Brent Grimes is locked in, but after him there’s Jamar Taylor, Brice McCain, Will Davis and Zack Bowman all vying for playing time and starting spots.

This is Bell: He says he can, and so he does. With that boundless confidence, Bell has catalyzed the Steelers’ run of nine straight wins heading into the AFC title game Sunday in New England. This transformative season serves as a bold example of how to run the ball effectively — not to mention the textbook entry for how to rehabilitate a career.

Just six months ago, Bell’s recovery from two torn ligaments in his right knee and NFL substance abuse violations in back-to-back years had cast a pall over his future with the team, at least publicly. Media branded him a case study for how to blow impending free agency with off-field problems.

Authentic Alex Tanguay Jersey “I’m really excited about it,” Bradley said. “We’ve got some youth that we’re really excited about, seeing the next step that they take. I think we’ve got some veteran guys, guys like [Paul Posluszny], coming back that provide leadership and I think with this free agent class, that we’ve got some highly spirited, highly competitive guys that I think will mesh well after getting a chance to be in our locker room.”

Excitement is something he seemingly can’t mute and buzzwords like “culture” and “energy” are things he repeats ad nauseam.

Limited Cassius Marsh Jersey The Jaguars relied heavily on the play of rookie quarterback Blake Bortles in 2014. It didn’t go very well for the team, which won just three games while Bortles finished dead last in the NFL’s passer rating formula. He threw 17 interceptions compared to just 11 touchdowns. The six other quarterbacks who threw 15 or more interceptions in 2014 averaged just over 31 touchdown passes.

Joe Flacco, Ravens: Pairing Marc Trestman and Joe Flacco turned out to be yet another genius move by the Ravens front office. With the deadly combination of brains and a big arm, Flacco broke most of the league’s regular season passing records in 2015, but the biggest prize of all was a second Lombardi Trophy. Unfortunately, Trestman was hired away to be the Browns next head coach, once again undercutting Joe Flacco’s claim to being an #elite quarterback.

Sam Bradford, Eagles: He FINALLY lived up to his potential. Most shocking was the fact that all of the excuses for his disappointing first five NFL seasons with the Rams proved to be exactly right. Expect him to repeat his success in 2016.

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: Good quarterback. Does good quarterback stuff in the pocket and outside of it.

“We’re still a work in progress,” James said. “I’ve been telling you that. It’s nothing new. It’s nothing new under the sun. We’re a work in progress. We still got to continue to get better. We’ve had some injuries this year that’s kind of hampered us, and we’ve had some guys sit out that’s hampered us a little bit. You know, we got a lot of time still, which is a positive. But it’s no secret to how we’ve been playing lately. We made a trade. We lose our starting 2-guard. Kyrie went out for a few games. Tonight, Kev wasn¡¯t able to finish the game. So we know what we’re capable of when we¡¯re fully healthy.”

I think the difference with us this year going in is we are older. We are more experienced. We are a different team. We understand what we are going to do. We don’t just rely on our offense. Our defense will have to do some things. We are all just more experienced. I think that is the one thing we can all say we have gotten better at.

Most athletes feel that the only time they can be in full control of their situation is during free agency. What is your dream scenario this summer?Elite Mens Howie Kendrick Jersey
Just to make sure it is the right situation. That’s all. That is all that matters to me. Winning. And making sure everyone is happy, I’m happy and making sure my family is happy.Elite Mens Mike Alstott Jersey
Do you want to stay in Toronto? Is that your first choice?

When the time comes, then I will worry about it. It definitely will be an option. It’s definitely home. I have been given the keys to it, [and it’s where] I have been most successful. When that time comes, I’ll think about it, but for now I just want to keep winning and try to get to that next level and take it game by game and day by day.

Just three days ago, recently hired Denver Broncos coach Vance Joseph said the team’s secondary coach, Joe Woods, is ready to be a defensive coordinator.

DeMarco Murray Womens Jersey Joseph has backed up his words, as Woods has been promoted to defensive coordinator. Woods will replace Wade Phillips to guide a group that has finished No. 1 and No. 4 in total defense in the past two seasons, respectively.

“You want the ball in your hands,” Roethlisberger said. “I love that situation.”Gosder Cherilus Womens Jersey
On that fourth-quarter drive, the Chiefs had as many fourth-down conversions as they did third-down conversions Sunday (two). Everything happened on that drive, from broken plays to helmet shots to several goal-line stands.

After years of varying organizational holes, the Falcons this season have given Ryan the best defense and playcaller (Kyle Shanahan) he has ever had. If not now, then when? Ryan wasn’t having any part of such talk Saturday night. He politely deflected my every attempt to put the next few weeks into the context of his career.

“If you spend your time thinking about that,” Ryan said, “it takes away from taking care of your business that week. I always believe that if you handle your business week to week, all the other stuff will take care of itself.”

People who know Ryan say that’s simply his personality. He works hard to remain in the moment, at least in public. Like it or not, however, his career will be judged one day in part on whether he was the quarterback of a Super Bowl champion.

It’s a fact that most NFL quarterbacks come to understand at some point in their lives. A few years ago, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers put it this way: The regular season is about earning the big paycheck, and the playoffs are about legacy.

Bailey’s ADP is off the charts. I mean literally, you can’t find him. He’s free for any league. I’ve been targeting Bailey as a late-round pick in MFL10s, because if you’re shooting for your sixth or seventh wide receiver, he offers all kinds of upside, even in a run-first offense.

An efficient receiver when given the opportunity, Bailey can do even more damage with Nick Foles under center. Foles should at least provide consistency to a position that was devoid of any for the Rams last year.

Here’s the pride and joy of the #DraftTwitter. Janis boasts unreal measurables at 6-foot-3. He ran a 4.42 in the 40 and owned one of the highest SPARQ scores among all wide receivers in the 2014 NFL Draft.

I promise the names from here won’t be as renowned. I just couldn’t pass up a chance to talk about Jackson. Last season was forgettable for the veteran. Only 11 percent of his fantasy points came from touchdowns in 2014, and he posted one of his lowest fantasy finishes since he became a coveted commodity in the industry.

He might be back down the depth chart this upcoming season, but he rode a strong preseason to significant snaps and carries in his rookie year. He had a nice touchdown run on Thursday night against the Cowboys.

He has the swagger and aggressiveness to do well at the position, and he’s really good in coverage. The knock on him is his ability as a tackler. If he can work on that, he could possibly creep into Day 2 of the draft.

It’s dangerous – and futile, quite frankly – to make any definitive judgments about a rookie quarterback after just one preseason game and a couple of weeks of training camp. Winston improved as the game progressed Saturday, and couldn’t have finished more strongly.

Former running back Priest Holmes’ name surfaced in a few conversations. Holmes signed a relatively cheap contract to move from the Baltimore Ravens to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2001. But even then, his salary as he finished off a run of three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons was reported to be $2.5 million.

In his seven pro seasons, LeGarrette Blount has rushed for 5,122 yards and 49 touchdowns.

Another instance to consider is the Patriots’ contract with receiver Randy Moss in 2007. Having acquired him after two career-killing years with the Raiders, the Patriots signed Moss to a one-year deal worth $3 million. Moss, of course, went on to have the best season of his career. As the NFL’s 40th-highest-paid receiver that year, he caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and a league-record 23 touchdowns.

Cornerback Malcolm Butler had made a vow not to let his game-saving interception in Super Bowl XLIX be the only play he was remembered by. He didn’t want to be the backup cornerback no one ever heard from again.Game Mens Tyrann Mathieu Jersey
“When you put the film on, you see a guy that’s playing, in my opinion, as one of the best cornerbacks in the league,” marveled Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien.

Game Mens Vincent Valentine Jersey Going back on his edict: At his introductory news conference, Quinn said he had zero tolerance for gun issues and domestic violence. Half of that edict was gone by the end of training camp after he signed (and later released) tight end Andrew Quarless, who was brought on board despite a July 2015 charge for firing a gun in public. Quinn didnâ€™t take questions on Quarlessâ€™ signing and released a statement instead — leaving Caldwell to answer media queries — which was not the best look.

Game O. J. Simpson Jersey Miraculously, the Lions were actually leading, 7-0, at the end of the first quarter on Sunday. The Cardinals were at precipice of scoring, granted — posted at the 14-yard line, one play away from their opening score — but that was hardly a harbinger. The Lions were 0-4 on the season, but they hadn’t lost by more than 12 points in any game and had played tough competition. Sunday’s game could have been competitive.

Then everything went wrong.

Beckham definitely cares about his teammates, and it shows.

The deception is simple- ahve players who all look so much alike that its impossible for the defesen to tell them apart and they become uncoverable. Its like when they did those legal but technically illegal foirmations verse the Ravens last year. Each time a Patriot has a white layer in the game on offense they should have to check in with the officials and report as caucasian.

Elite Bill Barber Jersey Like Reid said, though, no one can replace Charles’ value to the team. The Chiefs were already out to a down start to this season and there’s no relief coming from the defensive side of the ball either, with the team ranking just No. 27 in the league in total defense.

Charles has a long, difficult recovery ahead of him, but he was able to overcome the injury before. His first ACL tear was just as serious as this, and it required a full offseason of recovery and work to get back to playing condition.

When the Giants came to Lambeau Field in Week 5, they probably didn’t even know Geronimo Allison’s name. The undrafted rookie receiver was still on the Packers’ practice squad. In his past two games, Allison has eight catches for 157 yards and a touchdown while playing for the injured Randall Cobb. Even if Cobb comes back this week from his left ankle injury, the Packers would be wise to keep Allison in their plans.Game Kids Tennessee Titans Jersey
At 6-foot-3, he’s a matchup problem for shorter cornerbacks, and he has shown an ability beyond his years to grasp the Packers’ complex offense and win the trust of Rodgers. “He’s made plays consistently in practice over the last five or six weeks, which gives you the feeling that if he gets an opportunity or we need him to be in there, he’s going to make a play,” Rodgers said. “And that’s why he’s been a big part of our success and I’ve gone to him in certain situations, because I’ve seen it in practice.”

Momentum, sixfold. The Packers’ six-game winning streak can’t be dismissed as a nonfactor come playoff time. Veteran pass-rusher Julius Peppers said: “Momentum is a real thing, and we have a little bit of it.” A little? No one in the NFC went into the playoffs with a longer winning streak and no one has a quarterback who is as hot as Rodgers. He hasn’t thrown an interception in his past 245 attempts — the longest streak of his career — and he has 15 touchdowns without an interception in the past six games.

After pausing for a moment, Wake pulled back the curtain a bit. Now, letâ€™s keep it real: Itâ€™s sweet to prove so many people wrong.

Game Kids Troy Aikman Jersey â€œProbably four years ago, I actually went back and looked at the 2005 draft class,â€ Wake continued. â€œLooked at all the names that you probably would have seen on the front page of the paper after the draft back then. All the guys who were gonna be all-world and so on and so forth. A lot of those guys, theyâ€™re not playing anymore. And Iâ€™m still trying here, trying to help my team win. Iâ€™m still here. So nobody knows. Nobody has a crystal ball. If I had been a first-round pick, maybe I would have been done playing by now.â€

After a thrilling Centennial Classic in Toronto over the weekend, the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues had a high bar to clear in the 2017 Winter Classic on Monday.

They cleared it, weather and all.

The Blues pleased their home fans at Busch Stadium with a hard-fought 4-1 win over their division rivals. Vladimir Tarasenko¡¯s two goals late in the third period put the game away behind a good day from goalie Jake Allen.

The Red Wings only got a point out of the game, as Auston Matthews won the Centennial Classic for the Leafs in overtime.Game Youth Will Blackmon Jersey
Dayton Moore stubbornly stuck to his guns in 2014 as many called for the Royals to trade veterans like James Shields when the team was 48-50 and 4.5 games out of a playoff spot on July 21. The team rewarded his faith by winning 24 of their next 30 to erase an eight game lead in the division and take over first place, eventually taking the Wild Card. In 2016, the team again stood pat, despite being 49-55 on July 31, 8.5 games out of a playoff spot. But a hot August got them to within two games of a playoff spot in late August before they faded.

Can the Royals get back to the post-season?

Game Youth Teemu Selanne Jersey The Royals made a valiant run last year, but they fell far short of reaching the post-season for a third consecutive season. Injuries took their toll, and they¡¯ll get players like Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, and Jason Vargas back healthy this year, but the loss of Wade Davis is a major blow, and even losing Kendrys Morales and Edinson Volquez leaves the team very thin.

The Minnesota Vikings are finishing off a disappointing season, but Sam Bradford made a bit of history on Sunday. He ended the year with a 71.6 completion percentage, breaking the single-season record. Drew Brees previously held the mark with a 71.2 percentage in 2011.

These teams last met in Week 3, with the Packers surging to a 34-17 lead and holding on for the 37-24 victory. Rodgers lit up the Lions’ defense for four touchdown passes, two of them going to Jordy Nelson.

Both teams look a little different this time around — Green Bay lost Eddie Lacy for the year, but Ty Montgomery has done a fine job moving from wide receiver to running back. The Lions are dealing with the loss of cornerback Darius Slay, who sat out last week’s loss with a hamstring injury. His absence was sorely felt as Bryant torched the Lions’ secondary. Slay returned to practice this week, and is expected to play Sunday night.

The Lions have even more injury concerns at running back, with Theo Riddick battling a wrist injury that’s kept him out the past three games. Fortunately for Detroit, Zach Zenner stepped up and gave the run game something of a spark last week, so we’ll see if that carries over here.

The Packers are shaping up as a team nobody wants to face in the playoffs, but they’ll have to get past one last obstacle in the regular season. The Lions have been playing by the skin of their teeth all year, but how much luck do they have left? All the chips are down for this one, and it should be a thrilling game to close out the Sunday Night Football schedule.